Saddle



(No Model.)

J- 0. SMITH.

SADDLE.

No. 578,426. Patented Mar 9, 1897.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CHARLES SMITH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 578,426, dated March 9, 1897.

Application filed August 27, 1895. Serial No- 560,'7l6. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN CHARLES SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the class of saddles for bicycles, tricycles, and the like vehicles which have an elastic seat; and the ob-' ject is to provide a durable, simple, cheap, and attractive saddle having an elastic seat that will be comfortable, that will closely conform to the outline of the body of the rider, that will not wear the clothing, and that can be readily repaired if it should become in any way soiled or damaged.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a saddle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail View of one of the seatstrands. Fig. 4 is a View of one of the hooks used for fastening the seat-strands. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the cantle-section of the frame, and Fig. 6 is an edge View of the pommel-section of the frame.

In the views, 1 indicates a frame which is formed to any suitable outline with a narrow pommel 2 and a wide cantle 3. The side sections 4 of the frame shown are formed of stiff rods, while the pommel and cantle sections are formed of tubes that are connected with the rods; but of course, if desired, the frame maybe made entirely of tubing or of a single length of solid rod. The pommel and cantle sections of the frame are perforated on the outside for the reception of the seat-strand hooks, and these perforations preferably have enlarged parts 5 to admit the heads of the hooks and smaller parts 6 to receive the frame.

but a slight yielding. This fabric is formed of a number of strands of elastic rubber bunched together and covered with a woven or braided fabric. These sections of the seat which are'located near the pommel end of the saddle are short and are of sufficient size to give the requisite strength and stiffness,

and at the front these elastic sections are clasped by bands 9, provided with hooks 10, that are adapted to be caught into the perforations in the tubular pommel-section of the The hooks are provided with enlarged heads 11 and smaller shanks 12, that engage the perforations and hold without liability of accidentally coming unhooked. At the other ends these sections are clasped by bands 13, that also clasp the ends of the nonelastic section 8 of the seat-strands. Each of these non-elastic sections is formed of two or more cords 14, of woven, braided, or twisted threads of much smaller diameter than the elastic sections, and the back ends of these cords are clasped by bands 15, provided with hooks 16, adapted to engage the.

perforations of the tubular cantle-section of the frame in a manner similar to that described for the hooks at the pommel ends of the strands. These two cords of each of the non-elastic sections where they are joined to the elastic pieces of larger size lie close together and are held by the bands 13, while the rear ends of these cords spread apart and are connected with the cantle-section of the frame at some distance from each other. This arrangement permits the use of short elastic fabric pieces of suitable diameter to give the proper strength, stiffness, and elasticity at that portion of the saddle upon which the weight of the rider does not directly rest, and it also permits of the use with such elastic sections of small non-elastic cords upon which the rider may be directly seated, which small sections may be spread apart so as to evenly fill the space at the wide cantle-section of the seat.

A saddle made after this invention is very comfortable, for it can be made sufficiently elastic and soft to give with the weight of the rider and conform to the shape of the body. It can be made strong and durable. It is attractive in appearance, for the sections may be covered with ornamental colored materlal.

It Will not wear thev clothing, for the elastic or stretching part of the seat-strands does not come in contact with the clothing, and the non-elastic cord-sections of the strands upon which the person rests have an exterior of a material that does not stain or soil the clothing. The seat is durable, for the elastic-fabric sections can be made large and strong, and not being in such a position as to have the weight of the body directly upon them they are not subject to deterioration from the action of moisture from the body. The large elastic sections fully fill the narrow pomnielsection of the saddle, and the small cord-sections which are joined to them in the manner described are so spaced about the cantle portion of the saddle as to fully occupy the wider space at the cantle and make a comfortable and attractive appearing seat. (Only a partof the strands are shown in the drawings.) There is but little danger of the strands becoming damaged if the machine upon which the saddle is placed has a fall, and should any strand become damaged it can be quickly removed and a new one substituted.

I am aware that it is not new to-construct a saddle consisting of a frame formed of a single piece of metal with'a metallic seat formed of individual strands, each strand consisting of a spiral-spring section and a nonelastic Wire section, and such I. do not claim.

I claim as my invention A saddle consisting of a frame having a narrow pommel and a wide cantle and a seat formed of independently attached flexible strands, each strand having a short single section of textile elastic fabric with one end connected to the pommel, and a long section of a plural number of non-elastic textile cords of smaller diameter, the several smaller cords of each strand being connected close together to the single elastic section of each strand but diverging therefrom and being connected to the cantle at a distance from each other, substantially as specified.

JOHN CHARLES SMITH.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. WVILLI MS, E. J. HYDE. 

